IChO 1981 · Theory problem 1

Reaction scheme of a substance A and its compounds (substances A-L)

The sample A participates in the transformations in scheme 1. Only the products containing A are shown in the scheme 1.

Figure 1

Scheme 1

a) Substance A is a solid and is insoluble in water.

b) Substances B and I are gases soluble in water.

c) Substances E, F, J and K are solid and soluble in water.

d) Aqueous solutions of B, G, H, I, J and K react with F, the products in all cases being E and D.

e) The following transformations occur during the interaction with an aqueous solution of iodine:

Figure 2

Write the chemical equations for the above interactions and balance them.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

The substances are identified below. K is a potassium polysulfide, \(\ce{K2S_n}\), with \(n\geq2\); its exact chain length is not specified.

Label Formula Name and SMILES
A \(\ce{S}\), ordinarily molecular \(\ce{S8}\) Sulfur; cyclooctasulfur: S1SSSSSSS1
B \(\ce{SO2}\) Sulfur dioxide: O=S=O
C \(\ce{SO3}\) Sulfur trioxide: O=S(=O)=O
D \(\ce{H2SO4}\) Sulfuric acid: OS(=O)(=O)O
E \(\ce{K2SO4}\) Potassium sulfate: [K+].[K+].[O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-]
F \(\ce{K2S2O8}\) Potassium peroxodisulfate, also called potassium persulfate: [K+].[K+].[O-]S(=O)(=O)OOS(=O)(=O)[O-]
G \(\ce{K2SO3}\) Potassium sulfite: [K+].[K+].[O-]S(=O)[O-]
H \(\ce{K2S2O3}\) Potassium thiosulfate: [K+].[K+].[O-]S(=O)(=O)[S-]
I \(\ce{H2S}\) Hydrogen sulfide: [SH2]
J \(\ce{K2S}\) Potassium sulfide: [K+].[K+].[S-2]
K \(\ce{K2S_n}\) Potassium polysulfide; for \(n=2\), potassium disulfide: [K+].[K+].[S-][S-]
L \(\ce{K2S4O6}\) Potassium tetrathionate: [K+].[K+].[O-]S(=O)(=O)SSS(=O)(=O)[O-]

For a general polysulfide, insert \(n-2\) neutral S atoms between the two terminal [S-] atoms in K’s SMILES. The disconnected ionic SMILES do not describe crystal lattices. The sulfur-ring SMILES does not specify the usual crown conformation of \(\ce{S8}\).

Other species appearing in the equations are water O, dioxygen O=O, dihydrogen [H][H], potassium hydroxide [K+].[OH-], iodine II, hydrogen iodide [H]I (hydroiodic acid in aqueous solution), and potassium iodide [K+].[I-].

Elemental sulfur is written conventionally as \(\ce{S}\) in the equations, so its coefficients count sulfur atom equivalents.

Scheme 1: reactions (1)–(12)

  • (1) \(\ce{S + O2 -> SO2}\)
  • (2) \(\ce{2SO2 + O2 ->[catalyst] 2SO3}\)
  • (3) \(\ce{SO3 + H2O -> H2SO4}\)
  • (4) \(\ce{H2SO4 + 2KOH -> K2SO4 + 2H2O}\)
  • (5) \(\ce{2K2SO4 + 2H2O ->[electrolysis] K2S2O8 + 2KOH + H2}\)
  • (6) \(\ce{SO2 + 2KOH -> K2SO3 + H2O}\)
  • (7) \(\ce{K2SO3 + S -> K2S2O3}\)
  • (8) \(\ce{K2S2O3 + H2SO4 -> S + SO2 + K2SO4 + H2O}\)
  • (9) \(\ce{S + H2 ->[\Delta] H2S}\)
  • (10) \(\ce{H2S + 2KOH -> K2S + 2H2O}\)
  • (11) \(\ce{K2S}+(n-1)\,\ce{S -> K2S_n}\)
  • (12) \(\ce{K2S_n + H2SO4 ->} (n-1)\,\ce{S}+\ce{H2S + K2SO4}\)

d): reactions with F

The six interactions are numbered (13)–(18) below in the printed order B, G, H, I, J, K.

  • (13) \(\ce{SO2 + K2S2O8 + 2H2O -> K2SO4 + 2H2SO4}\)
  • (14) \(\ce{K2SO3 + K2S2O8 + H2O -> 2K2SO4 + H2SO4}\)
  • (15) \(\ce{K2S2O3 + 4K2S2O8 + 5H2O -> 5K2SO4 + 5H2SO4}\)
  • (16) \(\ce{H2S + 4K2S2O8 + 4H2O -> 4K2SO4 + 5H2SO4}\)
  • (17) \(\ce{K2S + 4K2S2O8 + 4H2O -> 5K2SO4 + 4H2SO4}\)
  • (18) \[ \ce{K2S_n}+(3n+1)\,\ce{K2S2O8}+4n\,\ce{H2O} \ce{->} (3n+2)\,\ce{K2SO4}+4n\,\ce{H2SO4}. \]

e): reactions with aqueous iodine

  • (19) \(\ce{SO2 + I2 + 2H2O -> H2SO4 + 2HI}\)
  • (20) \(\ce{K2SO3 + I2 + H2O -> K2SO4 + 2HI}\)
  • (21) \(\ce{2K2S2O3 + I2 -> K2S4O6 + 2KI}\)
  • (22) \(\ce{H2S + I2 -> S + 2HI}\)
  • (23) \(\ce{K2S + I2 -> S + 2KI}\)
  • (24) \(\ce{K2S_n + I2 ->} n\,\ce{S}+\ce{2KI}\)

Solution

a)–c): identification of A and its compounds

The combination of an insoluble solid element, a water-soluble gaseous oxide, and a water-soluble gaseous hydrogen compound identifies A as sulfur. Its combustion product B is sulfur dioxide, while its product with heated hydrogen, I, is hydrogen sulfide.

(1)–(4). Burning sulfur produces sulfur dioxide. Catalytic oxidation raises sulfur’s oxidation state from \(+4\) to \(+6\), identifying C as sulfur trioxide. Hydration then gives D, sulfuric acid. Complete neutralization with potassium hydroxide gives E, potassium sulfate.

(5). Electrolysis can oxidatively couple sulfate ions to form F, potassium peroxodisulfate. Under conditions favoring this anodic reaction, the half-equations are

\[ \ce{2SO4^{2-} -> S2O8^{2-} + 2e-} \]

and, for reduction of water at the cathode,

\[ \ce{2H2O + 2e- -> H2 + 2OH-}. \]

Here sulfate ion has SMILES [O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-], peroxodisulfate ion has SMILES [O-]S(=O)(=O)OOS(=O)(=O)[O-], and hydroxide ion has SMILES [OH-].

Adding these half-equations and restoring potassium ions, [K+], gives equation (5). Hydrogen and potassium hydroxide are absent from the scheme because they contain no sulfur.

(6)–(8). Complete neutralization of sulfur dioxide gives G, potassium sulfite. Sulfite combines with elemental sulfur to form H, potassium thiosulfate. Its acid decomposition produces sulfur and sulfur dioxide:

\[ \ce{K2S2O3 + H2SO4 -> S + SO2 + K2SO4 + H2O}. \]

This accounts exactly for the three sulfur-containing products shown in reaction (8): A + B + E.

(9)–(12). Hydrogen and heated sulfur form I, hydrogen sulfide. Complete neutralization gives J, potassium sulfide. Incorporating additional sulfur produces K, potassium polysulfide:

\[ \ce{K2S}+(n-1)\,\ce{S -> K2S_n}. \]

Acidification liberates one equivalent of hydrogen sulfide and leaves the remaining \(n-1\) sulfur equivalents as elemental sulfur. Potassium forms potassium sulfate. Thus reaction (12) gives precisely A + I + E.

For the simplest representative, \(n=2\), reactions (11) and (12) become

\[ \ce{K2S + S -> K2S2}, \]

\[ \ce{K2S2 + H2SO4 -> S + H2S + K2SO4}. \]

The identified potassium salts are consistent with the solid, water-soluble substances specified in c).

d), (13)–(18): oxidation by peroxodisulfate

Peroxodisulfate contains an \(\ce{O-O}\) bond. Its two peroxide oxygen atoms have oxidation state \(-1\), while its sulfur atoms remain at \(+6\). Reduction breaks the peroxide linkage and produces sulfate:

\[ \ce{S2O8^{2-} + 2e- -> 2SO4^{2-}}. \]

Thus each formula unit of F accepts two electrons. All sulfur in the reacting compounds is oxidized to sulfate, giving the following electron balances:

Reaction Reactant Initial sum of sulfur oxidation states Final sum Electrons released Required equivalents of F
(13) B, \(\ce{SO2}\) \(+4\) \(+6\) \(2\) \(1\)
(14) G, \(\ce{K2SO3}\) \(+4\) \(+6\) \(2\) \(1\)
(15) H, \(\ce{K2S2O3}\) \(+4\) \(+12\) \(8\) \(4\)
(16) I, \(\ce{H2S}\) \(-2\) \(+6\) \(8\) \(4\)
(17) J, \(\ce{K2S}\) \(-2\) \(+6\) \(8\) \(4\)
(18) K, \(\ce{K2S_n}\) \(-2\) \(+6n\) \(6n+2\) \(3n+1\)

For thiosulfate, the two sulfur atoms have oxidation states \(+5\) and \(-1\). Their combined increase to \(+6,+6\) releases eight electrons, explaining the coefficient \(4\) for peroxodisulfate in (15).

After fixing the oxidant coefficient, potassium balance determines the amount of E, sulfur balance determines the amount of D, and hydrogen and oxygen balances determine the water coefficient. For example, in (15):

  • One thiosulfate and four peroxodisulfates supply ten potassium atoms, requiring five potassium sulfates.
  • They supply ten sulfur atoms altogether, leaving five sulfur atoms for five sulfuric acids.
  • Five water molecules supply the required ten hydrogen atoms and complete the oxygen balance.

For general polysulfide in (18), the required oxidant amount is

\[ \frac{6n+2}{2}=3n+1. \]

Potassium balance then gives \(3n+2\) potassium sulfates; the remaining sulfur gives \(4n\) sulfuric acids, requiring \(4n\) waters. In particular, for potassium disulfide,

\[ \ce{K2S2 + 7K2S2O8 + 8H2O -> 8K2SO4 + 8H2SO4}. \]

These balances produce E and D in every case, as required.

e), (19)–(24): oxidation by iodine

Each iodine molecule accepts two electrons to form two iodide ions, whose SMILES is [I-].

(19)–(20). Sulfur dioxide and sulfite both contain sulfur at \(+4\). Oxidation to sulfate, with sulfur at \(+6\), releases two electrons per sulfur atom. Consequently, each consumes one iodine molecule. Balancing hydrogen and oxygen with water gives equations (19) and (20).

(21). Iodine converts thiosulfate into L, potassium tetrathionate:

\[ \ce{2K2S2O3 + I2 -> K2S4O6 + 2KI}. \]

The terminal sulfur atoms of two thiosulfate ions form a new sulfur–sulfur bond. Each changes oxidation state from \(-1\) to \(0\), releasing two electrons in total. The oxygen-bearing sulfur atoms remain at \(+5\).

Tetrathionate therefore has a chain of four sulfur atoms, with each terminal sulfur bonded to three oxygen atoms. This connectivity is represented by L’s SMILES in the identification table.

(22)–(23). Iodine oxidizes sulfur in hydrogen sulfide or potassium sulfide from \(-2\) to elemental sulfur at \(0\). Each formula unit releases two electrons and therefore consumes one iodine molecule. Hydrogen iodide or potassium iodide supplies the corresponding nonsulfur product.

(24). A polysulfide chain has a total sulfur oxidation-state sum of \(-2\), regardless of its length. Converting all \(n\) sulfur atoms to elemental sulfur therefore releases only two electrons per polysulfide ion. Hence one iodine molecule produces \(n\) sulfur equivalents:

\[ \ce{K2S_n + I2 ->}n\,\ce{S}+\ce{2KI}. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution. Where this solution differs from the official solution, the official solution contains an error or a misprint.